New Zeiss Victory SF !!!!!! (1 Viewer)

[brocknroller]

From an aesthetics point of view, the use of plastic in the SF body would be a deal killer for me. :-C
Especially, after Zeiss already announced they would be made of magnesium.
Yes, fiberglass is tough and lightweight but it's not what I want my $2,700.00 binocular to be made of !!! |<|
I have a feeling the information posted on the BH site is a mistake and hope that's the case.

Sagittarius,

Some who have tried the FLs complained about their "plasticy feel." Aren't they rubber armored?

There's also the physiological factor of a lightweight bin been being perceived figuratively as a "lightweight" rather than "heavyweight champion." Although this is not necessarily the case, in some people's minds, lightweight bins translate to "cheaply made." If your birding bin doesn't send you to the chiropractor in pain after using it all day in the field, it must be a POJ.

Magnesium seems to be the best metal for the job (this is from a company that sells tandem bicycles):

"Magnesium is the lightest structural metal currently available in the world. Its approximately 34% lighter by volume than aluminum and 50% lighter than titanium. Besides light-weight construction, a few of the other advantages that magnesium offers are: excellent fatigue resistance, denting and buckling resistance, and the highest known damping capacity of any structural metal."

paketamagnesium

Taurus with Mars in Retrograde

Nikon SE = Super Excellent
Porro Prisms = Sharp w/out phase coatings and Bright w/out 99 layers of dielectric coatings

 

[Vespobuteo]

Sadly I hear no SF's are going be on sale at Birdfair. Only demo's for testing.

Sorry if someones already posted this.

See you all at the fair

Cheers Tim

what!!

the worlds best birding binoculars exist and you can't buy them!!

seems more like the most limited edition optics in the world

(except from the nikon monarch fieldscopes though…they exist only in pictures..if anyone see a real
specimen at the BirdFair, please contact me!)

crazzzy!!

3

 

[Sagittarius]

brocknroller,

Thanks for the information on Magnesium and the link.
I hadn't read that one.
I had read other links on Magnesium but not as good as the one you provided. :t:
Yes, the FL's were rubber armored.

 

[Sagittarius]

"From a wallet point of view $2700 may be a deal killer too!"

Chosun,

I assumed you were interested in a pair of SF for yourself, since you're the OP of this thread. |=)|
Oh, by the way, I made a mistake; the SF is only $2,600.00, not $2,700.00 :t:

 

[brocknroller]

Sadly I hear no SF's are going be on sale at Birdfair. Only demo's for testing.

Sorry if someones already posted this.

See you all at the fair



Cheers Tim

Yes, you did. Twice. Posts #739 and #740.

<B>

 

[ceasar]

Sagittarius,

Some who have tried the FLs complained about their "plasticy feel." Aren't they rubber armored?

There's also the physiological factor of a lightweight bin been being perceived figuratively as a "lightweight" rather than "heavyweight champion." Although this is not necessarily the case, in some people's minds, lightweight bins translate to "cheaply made." If your birding bin doesn't send you to the chiropractor in pain after using it all day in the field, it must be a POJ.

Magnesium seems to be the best metal for the job (this is from a company that sells tandem bicycles):

"Magnesium is the lightest structural metal currently available in the world. Its approximately 34% lighter by volume than aluminum and 50% lighter than titanium. Besides light-weight construction, a few of the other advantages that magnesium offers are: excellent fatigue resistance, denting and buckling resistance, and the highest known damping capacity of any structural metal."

paketamagnesium

Taurus with Mars in Retrograde

Nikon SE = Super Excellent
Porro Prisms = Sharp w/out phase coatings and Bright w/out 99 layers of dielectric coatings

Brock,

Are you writing about the Zeiss T* FL line of binoculars in your first sentence above? I thought you had tried those out many times?

"Some who have tried the FLs complained about their "plasticy feel."

No one who has ever picked up a 42mm FL would agree with that.

Yes, they are rubber covered. They have about as much rubber on them as the Leica Trinovids of the same size had and they feel just as tough and as durable. They weigh over 26 ounces and the 56mm versions weigh over 43 ounces according to the 2006 Zeiss catalog I have.

They don't feel "plasticy" at all. Far from it!

Bob

 

[SteveTS]

the worlds best birding binoculars

You are sold on the basis of the marketing ?? :-O

 

[Troubador]

Brock,

Are you writing about the Zeiss T* FL line of binoculars in your first sentence above? I thought you had tried those out many times?

"Some who have tried the FLs complained about their "plasticy feel."

No one who has ever picked up a 42mm FL would agree with that.

Yes, they are rubber covered. They have about as much rubber on them as the Leica Trinovids of the same size had and they feel just as tough and as durable. They weigh over 26 ounces and the 56mm versions weigh over 43 ounces according to the 2006 Zeiss catalog I have.

They don't feel "plasticy" at all. Far from it!

Bob

I'll second that Bob, you would never know there was plastic under the rubber unless you were told. And that includes not just what they feel like but the sound and feel when they bump into anything: not an inkling of plastic.

Lee

 

[Vespobuteo]

Some who have tried the FLs complained about their "plasticy feel." Aren't they rubber armored?

"Some people say…"

I think you could get a job at Fox News, any day..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYA9ufivbDw

:-O

 

[Vespobuteo]

the worlds best birding binoculars

You are sold on the basis of the marketing ?? :-O

Irony my friend…

and frustration…

It's been a year now since nikon "released" the monarch fieldscope,
still no physical sign of them…only computer rendered images…

I really hope that Zeiss can deliver in time…
otherwise, keep the fre**kn marketing department shut ***...
:-C

 

[Vespobuteo]

brocknroller,

Thanks for the information on Magnesium and the link.
I hadn't read that one.
I had read other links on Magnesium but not as good as the one you provided. :t:

I would prefer spider silk and carbon fiber, every day of the month…



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specific_strength

 

[Chosun Juan]

"From a wallet point of view $2700 may be a deal killer too!"

Chosun,

I assumed you were interested in a pair of SF for yourself, since you're the OP of this thread. |=)|
Oh, by the way, I made a mistake; the SF is only $2,600.00, not $2,700.00 :t:

Yes my interest is piqued -- that big Fov, long body and reasonably light weight and highish transmission sound positively delicious :eat: .... but! .... that focuser sounds slow and mickey mouse, and it remains to be seen whether the ergo's feel right, AND 26 or 7 hundred bucks .... really?!! .... it would want to make a more than compelling argument for that ask ........ :cat:

Maybe the interest falls off well below that dollar figure ..... :smoke:


Chosun :gh:

 

[Chosun Juan]

the worlds best birding binoculars

You are sold on the basis of the marketing ?? :-O

Sammy, that's a direct quote from the Zeiss marketing material too !! .... sure would be an interesting court case seeing them trying to defend that one! :eek!:

They have also in no small way set the expectation sky high .... so much so that the physical bin will never be able to live up to the hype and will be forever viewed as an overpriced indulgence .... that's if you can actually get one!


Chosun :gh:

 

[SteveTS]

that's if you can actually get one! Chosun :gh:

Patience, in just a short while the frustrating anticipation will be just a faded memory and market realities will prevail.

I know we haven't seen the release yet, and only one or two retailers have it available for preorder, but if you will indulge me to be devil's advocate ... the depreciation on these will be colossal.

I've just turned down an EDG 10x42, new, for £750.00 (and that's after taking a Conquest HD 8x42, like new, last month for £250.00), it's always worth waiting.

 

[Alexis Powell]

Wrong. I know at least one person who agrees with that--me. And I'm not alone. Brock was accurately reporting many reviewers' initial reaction to the FL. The exposed metal of older rubber-armored bins has a different sound and feel to the exposed portions of the FL, especially its very plastic feeling focus knob. Set the diopter on an FL and you will experience plastic. Set the diopter on a Leica Trinovid or Ultravid and you feel metal. The feeling is more about perceptions than the reality of construction, but it is a different feel, especially when compared to older generation alphas, to which many deciding whether to upgrade from were making comparisons.

--AP

P.S. I'm not saying that I don't like the FL, or that I think they are substandard in construction, I'm just commenting on how they feel. Previous Zeiss bins also made use of plastic in innovative ways (e.g. the 7x42 Classic, with its plastic ocular yoke and housing), but the plastic didn't call attention to itself as much as in the FL (especially that rattling sand trap in front of the focuser and the Classics had exposed metal parts that did call attention to themselves visually and to the touch.

 

[ceasar]

I'll second that Bob, you would never know there was plastic under the rubber unless you were told. And that includes not just what they feel like but the sound and feel when they bump into anything: not an inkling of plastic.

Lee

I agree Lee.

This technology is not new in binoculars. It really shouldn't be news anymore. The Zeiss FLs have to be at least 10 years old (probably older) and AFAIK there has never been a complaint about their durability. Most people would be surprised to find out that they were not all metal construction. I will have to go through my 2006 Zeiss catalog again to see if it is even mentioned there.

I'm confident that the SF, whatever it's construction, will be able to stand up to the rigors of hard use for decades.

Bob

 

[Swissboy]

........Yes, the FL's were rubber armored.

They still are, at least mine is.

 

[Chosun Juan]

Sadly I hear no SF's are going be on sale at Birdfair. Only demo's for testing.

Sorry if someones already posted this.

See you all at the fair

Cheers Tim

If actual units will not be for sale at the BirdFair, let alone at a "show special" discount .... it makes me wonder whether these will be actual "mass production" units (ie. assembled using exactly the same manufacturing process as the regular ongoing predicted supply quantity will be). Perhaps these are pre-production, or pilot run units. Can we ask our peeps on the spot to keep eyes |8.| and ears |8)| peeled for this question (among many !! :cat:

Not long to go now ......

Patience, in just a short while the frustrating anticipation will be just a faded memory and market realities will prevail.

I know we haven't seen the release yet, and only one or two retailers have it available for preorder, but if you will indulge me to be devil's advocate ... the depreciation on these will be colossal.

I've just turned down an EDG 10x42, new, for £750.00 (and that's after taking a Conquest HD 8x42, like new, last month for £250.00), it's always worth waiting.

I think you might be right there! :t:



Chosun :gh:

 

[NDhunter]

Chosun:

You have been very interested in the new Zeiss. But do you think you would ever
purchase one ?

I am thinking until then, just let those that have used and can offer an opinion give
us more to digest.

Jerry

 

[Chosun Juan]

My name's Chosun .... and I'm a binoholic ....

Chosun:

You have been very interested in the new Zeiss. But do you think you would ever
purchase one ?

I am thinking until then, just let those that have used and can offer an opinion give
us more to digest.

Jerry

Jerry,

As I said before, I am very interested (I'm unsure over whether 8x or 10x though - it sounds like a great bin. I do have some reservations over the focusing, and won't actually know for sure that I could love it and the ergonomics until I get it in my hands for a while to see how it feels /works for me.

That said, it would be about a $3,000 !! |8.| proposition to get it to this country ..... and I don't know that I am that interested if the bin is going to be compromised (for me, and my purposes) ..... for a no compromise, thrill my little cotton socks off bin, that's head and shoulders above the current and near future competition - well that's another matter - we do get but one life ..... :cat:

1. I will be very interested to see the competition's response, and timeframes.
2. Given recent Zeiss quality history (the x54mm HT debacle, of which there is still stony |:x|), I have no desire to be one of the early adopter test pilot guinea pigs.
3. As Samandag has said, and as the x42mm HT's have shown (I've seen plenty of deals /discounts on those), I would not be surprised to see substantial price drops down the track.

In my gut I have the feeling that it's not worth $3000 to me because of the compromises (to me) ..... going on for ~ half that to around 2, and with the absence of a substantially better offering, AND with sorted, consistent quality and reputation .... well that's a different matter entirely. :brains:

Like you and others, I eagerly await actual hands-on reports /views from folks that we know can give an accurate impression and /or have similar characteristics /preferences to ourselves. I can't wait!

Despite that, I'm caught up in the excitement just like everyone else around here .... after all, no matter how much we all enjoy our own bins, or our mates better bins that we can get our hands on --- isn't that what we all do here (discussing; looking for the next big thing ?! B

Enjoy talking, reading, and /or looking in good health :t: o



Chosun :gh: